MS Formosa Queen

Last updated
Song of Norway Vigo (cropped).jpg
Song of Norway leaving Vigo, September 1994.
History
Name
  • 1970–1997: Song of Norway
  • 1997–2004: Sundream
  • 2004–2006: Dream Princess
  • 2006–2007: Dream
  • 2007–2008: Clipper Pearl
  • 2008–2009: Clipper Pacific
  • 2009–2010: Festival
  • 2010–2011: Ocean Pearl
  • 2012–2013: Formosa Queen
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
Builder Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland
Yard number392 [2]
Launched2 December 1969 [2]
Completed1970
Acquired5 October 1970 [2]
In service7 November 1970 [2]
Out of service2013
Identification
FateScrapped in 2013.
General characteristics (as built) [2]
Type Cruise ship
Tonnage
Length168.32 m (552.23 ft)
Beam23.96 m (78.61 ft)
Draught6.70 m (21.98 ft)
Installed power
Speed20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Capacity724 passengers
General characteristics (as of 2013) [2]
Type Cruise ship
Tonnage
Length194.32 m (637.53 ft) [1]
Beam24.00 m (78.74 ft) [1]
Capacity1,196 passengers
Crew423 [3]
NotesOtherwise same as built

MS Song of Norway (later Sundream, Dream Princess, Dream, Clipper Pearl, Clipper Pacific, Festival, Ocean Pearl, Formosa Queen) was one of the first ships purpose-built as a cruise ship. She was the first ship of Royal Caribbean International when she entered operation in 1970. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and broken up in 2014, after serving her last years as a gambling ship.

Contents

Statistics

The vessel originally had a gross tonnage of 18,000 tons, and could carry 724 passengers. Following the 1978 refit, she was lengthened by 85 feet, to provide for 1024 passengers and increasing her size to 23,000 gross tons.

History

Sundream in Tallinn Harbour, 2001 Sundream (cropped).JPG
Sundream in Tallinn Harbour, 2001

The vessel was constructed in Helsinki, Finland in 1970. Named Song of Norway, she was the first ship built for cruise line Royal Caribbean International. The vessel was lengthened in 1978, due to the high demand for cruising, and sailed on seven- and fourteen-day cruises out of Miami. As Song of Norway she was the first vessel to service the Royal Caribbean proprietary resort of Labadee, Haiti.

Ocean Pearl Ocean Pearl (cropped).jpg
Ocean Pearl

In 1996, surpassed by the significantly larger ships in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, the ship was sold to Sun Cruises, part of the Airtours/MyTravel (which has now merged with Thomas Cook AG), who operated the vessel under the name Sundream. Before the ship entered service for her new owners, the sky lounge around her funnel was removed.

In October 2004 she was sold, refitted and became MS Dream Princess for Caspi Cruises (Israel) and operated the 2005 season from Haifa.

In November 2007 the ship was sold to Pearl Owner Ltd., a company in the Bahamas-based Clipper Group of Denmark, which put the management of the ship in the hands the Miami, Florida based company International Shipping Partners, Inc. (ISP). [4] After refitting in Turkey and Malta, the ship was chartered to the Peace Boat organization and renamed the Clipper Pacific. The ship was in service touring the world, from Japan to Japan, as part of Peace Boat's mission. [5] After numerous repeated problems with the ship, however, the world tour was broken off in Piraeus, Greece. Afterwards, the ship was sold to ISP and renamed to Festival. [2] She came into service again as a cruise ship, first in 2009 for Caspi Cruises and as of 2010 for Quail Travel's Happy Cruises. Quail Travel has renewed the charter for the 2011 season. The charter ended when Happy Cruises ceased operations.

In 2009 she was used on Mediterranean voyages, under the name Festival, as a stand in by the Israeli company Caspi Cruises, whose own advertised voyages on smaller vessels had booked to overcapacity. For the 2010 and 2011 seasons, under the name M/V Ocean Pearl, the ship has been chartered by Quail Travel's Happy Cruises. [6] The Ocean Pearl was on a cruise but had to terminate it in Málaga, Spain due to Happy Cruises ceasing operations on September 24, 2011. [7]

2005 refitting

In early 2005 Sundream was being refitted in Piraeus under the name Dream Princess. The ship was sailing on four-night cruises from Haifa to Alanya, Rhodes and Larnaca. Some itineraries also included Marmaris and Santorini. In January 2006 the vessel was used to house students from Tulane University after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. [8]

September 2007 listing

On September 18, 2007, while anchored in the port of Rhodes, the cruise ship developed a 10 degree list. She was immediately evacuated and four officers who were on duty at the time of the incident were detained. The crew was accused of deliberately grounding the vessel to prevent further listing and an ultimate sinking. Divers investigating the incident discovered that hatchways in the hull, designed for discharging untreated waste into the ocean, had been crudely plugged with chunks of wood, to prevent the discharge. That kept the waste on board. Failure to pump the waste in a timely manner resulted in the listing of the vessel. [9]

The list was eventually corrected but on 18 November 2007, due to strong winds, Dream Princess came loose of her moorings and collided with an adjacent cargo ship causing minor damages in both vessels. The coast guard managed to tow the cruise ship back to the dock using tug-boats. [10]

Dream Princess remained in the port of Rhodes for nearly two months until her seaworthiness was re-established. On November 28, 2007 she was towed to the port of Kuşadası.

2008 problems

On July 16, 2008, the Clipper Pacific was detained in New York by the United States Coast Guard for numerous safety violations including a leaking hull. She remained in New York and was not allowed to leave until repairs were made. [11] Further extensive repairs were made in dry dock in Tampa, Florida, where inspectors found new safety problems. [12] [13]

The ship was next detained for a couple of days in August 2008 in Seward, Alaska for significant code violations. [13]

Late 2008 she was laid up in Istanbul, Turkey for engine repairs.[ citation needed ]

Final years

In April 2012, MS Ocean Pearl was sold for use in China as a floating casino, [14] after International Shipping Partners, the former owner of the MS Gemini and the MS Ocean Pearl, issued a statement saying that both ships would be available for sale or charter after the insolvency of Happy Cruises. [15] She was renamed Formosa Queen and operated by Asia Star Cruises. [16]

In November 2013, Formosa Queen was sold for scrap and she was broken up in China in 2014. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ocean Countess</i>

Ocean Countess was a cruise ship owned by Majestic International Cruises of Greece. She was completed in 1976 as Cunard Countess for Cunard Line and was a popular ship in the Caribbean cruise market for 20 years. After leaving Cunard service in 1996, she had a number of owners before being purchased by Majestic in 2004. She was retired in 2012 and scrapped in 2014 after a fire destroyed the ship.

MS <i>Crown Iris</i>

The MS Crown Iris is a cruise ship owned by Mano Maritime. She was originally ordered by Birka Line as MS Birka Queen from the Wärtsilä Marine Turku Shipyard in Finland, but completed by Kvaerner Masa-Yards as MS Royal Majesty for Majesty Cruise Line. In 1997 she was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line as MS Norwegian Majesty and lengthened by 33.76 m at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany. She was sold to Louis Cruises as MS Louis Majesty from 2008 to 2012 when she was chartered to Thomson Cruises as MS Thomson Majesty before being returned to Louis Cruises/Celestyal Cruises, as the Majesty. In 2018 the ship was sold to Mano Maritime.

MS <i>Ambience</i> Cruise ship

The MS Ambience is a cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line. The vessel was delivered to Princess Cruises in 1991 by the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy as Regal Princess, sailing on their North American routes. After 2000 she was deployed on the company's Australian routes, then later in the Mediterranean and Baltic seas.

MS <i>Tropicale</i> Cruise ship built 1982

MS Tropicale was a cruise ship that entered service in 1982, and was one of the pioneering cruise ships in the modernization of the cruise industry. She was Carnival Cruises Line's first newly built ship, initially operating mainly in the Mexican Riviera and the Caribbean.

Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U.S.-based Royal Caribbean Group, but Royal Caribbean later sold a 51% stake in the cruise line to Spain-based investment firm Springwater Capital, retaining a 49% stake.

<i>Spirit of London</i> (ship)

Spirit of London was an Italian built cruise ship put into service in 1972. In January 2012, Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises took over as operator, renaming the ship Ocean Dream.

MV <i>Gemini</i> Cruise ship built in 1992

MV Gemini is a cruise ship operated by Miray Cruises since 2019. She was built in 1992 by Unión Naval de Levante, Valencia, Spain for Crown Cruise Line as Crown Jewel. She has also sailed under the name Cunard Crown Jewel. She also operated as SuperStar Gemini for Star Cruises from 1995 to 2008.

<i>Vistafjord</i>

MS Vistafjord was an ocean liner that was built as a combined liner/cruise ship in 1973 by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders in the United Kingdom for the Norwegian America Line. In 1983 she was sold to Cunard Line, retaining her original name until 1999 when she was renamed Caronia. In 2004 she was sold to Saga and sailed as Saga Ruby until sold in 2014 for use as a floating hotel and renamed Oasia. This never came to fruition. Her owners went bankrupt, and in April 2017 she arrived at Alang, India for scrapping.

MV <i>Astoria</i> Cruise ship

MV Astoria is a ship that was constructed as the transatlantic ocean liner Stockholm for Swedish American Line, and rebuilt as a cruise ship in 1993. Ordered in 1944, and commenced service in 1948, at 76 years old, she is the oldest deep water passenger liner still around in a non retired status. As Stockholm, she was best known for an accidental collision with Andrea Doria in July 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship and 46 fatalities off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States.

MS <i>Astor</i>

MS Astor was a cruise ship that most recently sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages' Transocean Cruises subsidiary, under which she operated voyages to Europe, South Africa, and Australia.

MS <i>Golden Princess</i>

MS Golden Princess was a casino cruise ship owned by Eurasia International, operated on short casino cruises out of Hong Kong. She was built in 1967 by the Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland as Finlandia for the Finland Steamship Company. In 1975 she was sold to Finnlines, who converted her into the cruise ship Finnstar in 1978. In 1982 she entered service for Pearl Cruises as Pearl of Scandinavia. In 1988 she was renamed Ocean Pearl. In 1994 she entered service with Croisières Paquet as Pearl. Between 1995 and 1998 she sailed for Costa Cruises as Costa Playa. In 1998-1999 she sailed as Oriental Pearl for Mega Wave International, and in 1999-2000 as Joy Wave for Costa Cruises. In 2000 she was sold to Eurasia International and entered service under the name Golden Princess. In 2009 she was sold for scrap to China.

<i>Heritage Adventurer</i> Cruise ship

Heritage Adventurer is an ice-strengthened expedition cruise ship built in 1991 by Rauma shipyard in Finland. She was originally named Society Adventurer, but after Discoverer Reederei was unable to take delivery of the vessel due to financial troubles, the completed ship was laid up at the shipyard for almost two years. In 1993, she was acquired by Hanseatic Tours and renamed Hanseatic. In 2018, she was chartered to One Ocean Expeditions and renamed RCGS Resolute through a partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In 2021, she was acquired by Heritage Expeditions and, following an extensive refit, entered service in 2022 with her current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Deilmann Cruises</span> Defunct German cruise company

Peter Deilmann Cruises was a German cruise company which offered river cruises throughout Europe and several ocean cruises. It was headquartered in Neustadt in Holstein, Germany.

MS <i>Helliar</i>

Helliar is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets and operated by NorthLink Ferries. Built by Astilleros de Huelva in Spain in 1997 as Lehola for the Estonian Shipping Company she has served a number of owners and operators as RR Triumph and Triumph before her sale to Clipper Group and being renamed Clipper Racer. In 2011, she was chartered to NorthLink Ferries and renamed Helliar.

MV <i>Lyubov Orlova</i> 1976 Yugoslav-built ice-strengthened cruise ship

MV Lyubov Orlova was a 1976 Yugoslavia-built ice-strengthened Maria Yermolova-class cruise ship, which was primarily used for Antarctic cruises. After being taken out of service in 2010, she sat in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada for two years. Decommissioning was fraught with problems and the ship eventually became a floating derelict in the North Atlantic Ocean in 2013. She is believed to have sunk.

FleetPro Passenger Ship Management was founded in 2012 as a merger of two existing passenger ship management companies and is based in Switzerland. It combined International Shipping Partners (ISP), a passenger ship management services company headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States, and River Advice of Basel, Switzerland. The majority owners became a Netherlands-based private equity fund. In January 2014 the two operations were renamed FleetPro Ocean and FleetPro River respectively.

<i>Hebridean Sky</i>

Hebridean Sky is a cruise ship owned by London-based cruise company Noble Caledonia. As an ice-rated vessel she has operated as an expedition cruise ship in Antarctica and in the Arctic. She was also known under the names Renaissance VII, Regina Renaissance, Renai I, Sun, Island Sun, Corinthian II, Sea Explorer, Sea Explorer I.

<i>Ocean Voyager</i> Cruise ship built in 2001

Ocean Voyager is a small cruise ship, carrying about 200 passengers. First launched in 2001, she has been operated by four different owners, and was formerly known as Victory I, Saint Laurent, Sea Voyager and Cape May Light, the ship was built in the United States and entered service in 2001.

MS <i>Sunward</i> (1966)

MS Sunward was a cruise ship built in 1966 for Knut Kloster. Originally designed and built for ferrying passengers and vehicles around the Bay of Biscay and Gibraltar, the promise and success of the Sunward would be short-lived. English currency restriction and the border closing between Spain and Gibraltar defeated the newly built ship's initial purpose. Ted Arison, an Israeli businessman, contacted Kloster about the possibility of converting the Sunward into a cruise ship in Miami. The Sunward operated as a cruise ship under the newly established Norwegian Caribbean Line. The ship proved to be such a success that Norwegian Caribbean Line commissioned newer, larger ships for its fleet, ultimately replacing the Sunward. She was sold to Compangnie Generale Transméditerranéenne in 1973, and later on with several companies. In 2004, the former Sunward was sold to Bangladeshi breakers for scrap. The vessel appeared in the 1970 dramatic film, "Darker than Amber" and the 1989 comedy "Going Overboard".

<i>Saga Pearl II</i> German cruise ship

MS Saga Pearl II was a cruise ship of about 18,700 GT that was built in Germany by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft as the Astor in 1981. After short unsuccessful operations with two owners, she was bought by the East German government in 1985 and renamed Arkona. After 1990 the ship was operated by Seetours, which was acquired by P&O Princess Cruises in 1999, and then chartered to Transocean Tours as Astoria in 2002. From 2009 until 2019 she was owned by Saga Cruises as Saga Pearl II, then withdrawn from service, laid up as Pearl II, and scrapped in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Formosa Queen". Bureau Veritas . 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "M/S Song of Norway (1970)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. ↑ de Boer, Bart. "Clipper Pearl : International Shipping Partners". shipparade.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "News Release: Clipper Pearl (Ex-Dream, Ex- Song Of Norway) Miami, Florida" (PDF). International Shipping Partners, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "News Release: Charter And Name-Change Of Clipper Pearl, Miami, Florida" (PDF). International Shipping Partners, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "M.S. Ocean Pearl - Main Details". Happy Cruises. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Dake, Shawn (25 September 2011). "(Un) Happy Cruises Ceases Operations". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Boyle, Ian (2010). "Song of Norway Cruise Ship Postcards". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Dream Princess Listing Near Dodecanese Island Of Rhodes Greece". Cruisebruise.com. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Heavy rains cause problems throughout Greece". Athens News Agency. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Curkin, Scott (16 July 2008). "Cruise ship detained in New York Harbor". WABC-TV . Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Clipper Pacific Departs Tampa After Extensive Repairs". Coast Guard News. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Events at Sea 2008". Cruise Junkie. 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Knego, Peter (9 April 2012). "OCEAN PEARL Sold, GEMINI Chartered". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "ISP Issues Statement on Happy Cruises". Cruise Industry News. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  16. 1 2 Dake, Shawn (19 November 2013). "Former SONG OF NORWAY Sold For Scrap". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Ship demolitions 17/11/2013". Ship Scrapping. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.